Combination liquid level and pressure gauge



Nov. 28, 1933. M. KLEIN 1,937,231

COMBINATION LIQUID LEVEL AND PRESSURE GAUGE Filed April 16, 1931 Patented Nov. 2 8, l1933 COMBINATION LIQUID LEVEL AND PRESSURE GAUGE Maximilian Klein, Sellersville, Pa., assignor to United States Gauge Company, New York,

N. Y., a corporation of Pennsylvania y Application April 16, 1931. Serial No. 530,698

4 Claims. (Cl. 'i3-82) This finvention relates to a unitary combined instrument for "indicating the level of liquid in a container and the pressure thereof.

In many installations, particularly where ,liq- 5 uid fuel is fed by applied pressure from a tank toa burner or stove, it is very desirable to be able to read the quantity of liquid in the container and the pressure thereon. In prior installations it has been the usual practice to provide l0' a pressure gauge and a separate liquid level gauge, thus requiring two separate liquid-tight and air-tight openings in the tank or container. One object of this invention therefore is to provide a unitary instrument for association with a liquid container or tank whereby the liquid level and thepressure on the'liquid may be read from the same instrument. Another object of this invention is to provide an instrument of the above indicated character which is adapted to be attached to a liquid cntainer or tank byway of a single opening of the same size as that usually afforded for the receptionof a pressure gauge or a separate liquid level gauge.

Another object of this invention is to provide a combined liquidlevel and pressure gauge embodying a oat operated shaft carrying a magnet in cooperation with a magnetic indicator mechanism, the indicator'mechanism and the magnet being physically separated whereby any possible leakage-of liquid around the float operated shaft is avoided, but the parts being closely related whereby the magnetic' ux is concentrated ad` jacent the indicator to cause accurate movements thereof. l r

Another object of this invention is to provide anovel combined pressure gauge and liquid level gauge, the liquid level indicator being operated by the position of a magnet, and wherein the magnet is positioned closely adjacent to the indicator mechanism and the pressure indicating parts are positioned out of the magnetic field. By the particular construction of the novel casing as hereinafter disclosed, the magnetic coupling between the magnet and the indicator is extremely accurate and positive and no extraneous parts of the pressure gauge are interposed in the flux path to interfere with the operation of the liquid level gauge.

Another object of this invention is to provide a neatfaccurata and compact liquid level and pressure gauge wherein two indicator hands cooperate with a singledial, the operating mecha- .55 nisms therefor being arranged beneath the dial in nested association whereby each operates independently 'of the other without interference.

Another object of 'this invention is to provide a liquid level and pressure gauge wherein the indicator hands for the pressure and liquid level operate upon a concentric dial, the pressure gauge being operated by a Bourdon tube and the level gauge being operated by a magnetic device, the magnetic device being nested within the Bourdon tube and compactly arranged in a single casing so that there is no interference with their independent operation.

Another object of this invention is to provide a supporting `bracket for the float and the float operated shaft of a combined liquid level and pressure gauge, wherein the bracket is simply and readily attached to the casing head carrying the indicating mechanisms.

Another object of this invention is to provide a special casing adapted to receive a Bourdon tube for pressure'indication and a magnetically operated level indicator, and so arranged that the float operated magnet is positioned in close juxtaposition to a pick-up armature for indicating the level of the liquid, the casing being greatly simplied in construction and assembly.

These and other objects of the invention will be apparent from the followingdescription and claims, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, wherein Figure' 1 is a top plan view of the instrument with the upper portion of the casing removed.

Figure 2 is a central sectional view showing the complete instrument with the float operated shaft and bracket attached thereto. 90

Figure 3 is a top plan of the assembled instrument.

Figure 4 is enlarged detail of a portion of the casing.

Figure 5 is a section taken substantially on line 5-5 of Figure 4.

Figure 6 is a broken elevation taken at right angles to Figure 2, showing the float supporting bracket and mounting.

The indicating portion of the novel instrument is mounted in a casing or head 2, formed of some non-magnetic material, preferably being made as abrass forging. The head 2 is shaped to receive a wrench whereby the same may be readily attached to and detached from the liquid containing tank or receptacle, a depending central sleeve 3 being provided with external screw-threads for attachment to a tank. The head 2 is provided with a central well extending upwardly and in alignment with the sleeve 3, said well 4 terminat- The visible portion of the indicating mecha- 2 meanest ing in an upper imperforate wall 5. The wall 5 arm 22 extends outwardly for cooperation with a has a slight enlargement projecting downwardly scale. As the pressure is applied to the Bourdon into the well, for providing a bearing for a shaft tube 16, the link 20 moves outwardly thus pulling l to be hereinafter described. the strap 18 and the arm 22 to rotate the indicating hand 24 about the pivotal connection 23 in nismis adapted to be mounted` on the upper sur. accordance with the pressure in the tank to face of the head 2, and is enclosed by a frictionwhich the gauge is attached. ally retained cover member 6, which is seated The well 4 is provided with two upstanding upon a shoulder of an upwardly extending flange rivets 25 to which a plate'26 is secured having 2 as seen in Figure 2. The cover 6 is provided two indicating scales thereon, the inner scale 27 with an arcuate opening through which the presbeing divided into divisions of pressure, and the sure and volume hands may be seen. This openouter scale 28 being divided into divisions indiing is preferably closed by a glass or mica memcating the quantity of vliquid in the container. ber 7 secured to the cover 6. y The indicating hand 24 projects over the plate 26 As seen more clearly in Figure 2, the casing 2 and into cooperative position with respect to the is so formed that a circular channel is provided scale 27. 'I'he scale carrying plate 26 has a stop between the reduced portion 2' upon which the 29 projecting upwardly thereon for engagement cover 6 is secured and the central well 4. Formed when the pressure hand is at its zero position. preferably integral with the well 4 and extend- As previously explained, the upper imperforate ing to one side thereof is the boss 11. This boss wall 5 of the well 4 is provided with a central en- 11 extends between and connects the well 4 and largement in which is positioned the vertical rod the flange 2. As seen in Figure 1, the boss 11 is` 31. Pivotally mounted on rod 31 is a magnetic slightly wider at the bottom thereof than at the bar 32, one end of said bar being larger in crosstop, both sides sloping downwardly from the top section than the opposite end, as seen in Figure 1. and the end also being cut at an angle. AAn indicating hand 33 preferably of light non- Inorder to provide communication to the presmagnetic material such as aluminum is also sure indicating mechanism contained within the ,/pivoted to the rod 31 and is secured to the magcasing formed by the head 2 and the cover 6, the netic vane 32 by flanges 34 bent around the bar boss 11 is provided with a passageway 12 extend` 32. The outer end of the indicating hand 33 exing diagonally therethrough and communicating tends beyond the arcuate edge of the plate 26 with the well 4. The boss 11 is further provided into cooperative relation with the outer scale 28 with a cross pasageway -13 communicating with thereon. The magnetic bar 32 is made larger at the passageway 12 and extending to one side of one end thereof to compensate for the additional the boss 11. The boss 11 has a further drilled weight of the indicating hand 33, whereby the opening or passageway 14 extending vertically bar 32 and the hand 33 are nicely balanced and down the side wall thereof and intercepting the move freely about the pivot 31. The scale plate cross passageway 13, the Wall of the boss 11 then 26 has its outer, arcuate edge notched to provide being cut away as seen at 15 in Figure 4 to prostop shoulders 30 just beyond the full and zero vide a vertically extending slot in the side wall positions of scale 28 to act as stops for hand 33. thereof. The passageways above described are In order to avoid the necessity for providing preferably drilled through the boss 11 and are packing around a shaft which would extend into thus simply and expeditiously cut in proper posia casing, bar 32 and the indicating hand 33 are tion, although it will be understood that these operated by the flux from a movable magnet. passageways may be otherwise formed. To position the movable magnet in close juxta- In the slot 15, the open end of a Bourdon tube position to the bar 32 and support the same the 16. is slipped so that the central passageway or following mechanism is used. A bracket 36 is opening in said Bourdon tube communicates with provided having the upper end 37 shaped to closethe cross passageway 13 and then by way of ly t within the tubular extension 3, the upper passageway 12 to the well 4. The Bourdon tube end 37 thus provided being forced into said ex- 16 is coiled around the central well 4 and is` tension. The lower depending portion of the secured in the slot 15 by soldering, brazing, or any bracket 36 has a tongue 38 extending from one other suitable means to secure a iiuid and air edge thereof and bent at right angles to the tight joint. By the above described construction bracket, said tongue having a portion 39 bent at it will ber apparent that the Bourdon tube is right angles to the tongue 38. The tongue 39 is placed in direct communication by way of perforated to provide a bearing for a rotatable passageways 14, 13, and 12 with the open well shaft 42, said shaft having a headed reduced end 4, whereby pressure on the fluid within the con- 43 to retain the same in position. The lower end tainer with which the instrument is associated of shaft 42 has secured thereto a segmental gear may be directly communicated to the Bourdon 50 whereby the shaft is rotated as described tube. hereinafter. N

The end of the passageway 12 is preferably The upper end of shaft 42 extends slightly beclosed by a plug member 17 which is forced into yond the cup-shaped bracket 37, and an upper the end thereof and is then preferably soldered bearing for the shaft is provided by a separate or brazed in position to form a tight joint. That cup member 44. Member 44' is shaped to apis, the only opening from the receptacle into the proximately the' same size as the upper portion casing leads directly into the Bourdon tube 16, 37 of the bracket 36l and is frictionally retained and the entrance of uid or air to the remainder in the portion 37. The upper edge of the cup 44 of the casing is prevented. The Bourdon tube 16 is bent over the upper edge of the` bracket 36 as has secured thereto a link 20 to which is pivotally seen atl -45, and is thus retained in position connected a strap 18. The opposite end of strap against a shoulder of the head 2 when the bracket 18 is pivoted at 19 to an indicator carrying arm 36 has its end 37 forced into the depending por- 22.` The arm 22 is of arcuate shape as seen in tion 3 of the head. T'he cup 44 is provided with Figure 1, and is pivoted to a post 23 mounted in a central opening having a working t with the an opening 23' in the upper surface of the boss shaft 42 to provide a bearing for said shaft. The

11. The indicating hand 2,4 integral with the upper end of shaft 42 has a cross slot therein in 150 Y turning on the lpivot sh'aft 31.

which is seated a iJ-shaped magnet 46, the magnet being secured to the shaft by frictional engagement and may be soldered or brazed thereto if desirable.v The upper legs of the magnet 46 extend in close proximity to the imperforate wall 5 of the well 4, the legs being cut away atv an angle to accommodate the depending central portion of said wall, in which the shaft 31 is positioned.

The bracket 36 extends below the bent over tongue 38 and has an outstanding shaft 47 secured thereto upon which is mounted a sleeve 48, the sleeve being retained on the shaft by the.

shoulder 49 of the shaft. The sleevev 48 has secured thereto a segmental gear 51 in mesh with gear 50 on shaft 42. The gear 51 has an extended portion 52 bent around and secured to a float rod 53, the rod having a lug 53 engaging an opening in arm 52. Shaft 53 is bent at right angles and has secured to the bent end thereof a float 54 such as cork or the like. rli`he shaft 53 extends centrally throughthe float and has a washer 55 on its outer end to secure the float to the shaft. FromY the above description of the bracket and mounting it will be seen that asimpliled and cheap construction is provided, yet one which will accurately rotate the vertical shaft 42 in accordance with the position of the oat 54.

It will be apparent that the magnetic strap 32 will rotate in accordance With the various positions assumed by the shaft 42 and the magnet 46 thereon. The strap 32 will remain in alignment4 with the U-shaped magnet 46 and will thus rotate the indicating hand 33 in` accordance with the position of the magnet therefore in accordance with the position of the float 54. The operating hand 33 and the magnetic strap 32 are light in construction and offer very .slight resistance to An important feature of this invention is the fact that the parts are so arranged that the magnet 46 is positioned in close proximity to the magnetic strap 32 whereby extremely accurate indications of the level of the liquid are obtained. It will be observed that the pressure indicating mechanism comprisingthe Bourdon tube 16 and all operating mechanism thereof is positioned out of the ux path between the magnet 46 and the magnetic strap 32. As seen in Figure 2 the magnetic strap is closely adjacent the end of the magnet 46 without the interposition of any of the pressure indicating mechanism. Since the entire casing orhead 2 is formed of non-magnetic material, it will be seen that the strap 432 will not have any appreciable lag with respect to the movementsv of the magnet 46, since the magnetic connection between these twoparts is a close and direct one.

The head 2 used to support the operative mechanism is .simple in design and cheap to manufacture and assemble. After the holes 12, 13 and 14 have been drilled in the boss 11 the Bourdon tube 16 may be slipped into the slot 15 and easily secured in position by soldering or otherwise. By

to .003 inch, whereby pressure applied to the liquid of the tank is enabled to pass up in the well 4 around the shaft opening through the cup, member', and also through the slot between the two bent ends of the head 37.

Due to the nesting of themagnetic mechanism 8O within the confines of the Bourdon tube, a very compact and yet accurate instrument is provided, wherein each operating mechanism and its indicator is independent of the other and each operates as freely and accurately as if the other were not present.

It is believed that the operation ofthe combined pressure and liquid level gauge will be obvious from the preceding description. The complete instrument may be assembled as shown in 3U Figure 2, and may then be attached to a tank or receptacle for liquid. The length and diameter of the oat 54 is such that it may beinserted through the opening provided in the receptacle for receiving thel threaded bore 3 of the 95 instrument. The bracket 36 may also be inserted through this opening whereby the entire instrument may be attached to' the tank.

The threaded bore 3 is engaged in a uid tight and pressure tight manner with the receptacle, after which the liquid may be put under operating pressure. This pressure is thfen indicated by the hand 24 upon the scale 27 due to movement Y of the Bourdon tube 16. The oat 54 rises in accordance with the level of liquid, thus rotating 105- correspondingly and the indicator hand 33 takes u@ up a position on the scale 27 in accordance with the level of the liquid. The entire instrument is extremely simple in lconstruction and thoroughly reliable in operation.,

The invention may be embodied in other spe'- 15 ciflc forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof. The present embodiment is therefore to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, the scope of the invention being indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description, and all changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are therefore intended to be embraced therein. n

What I claim and desire to secure by U. Sv., Letters Patent is:- l l. A combination gauge comprising a casing having a. well extending thereinto with an imy,perforate end wall; a rotatable magnet within t;`

said well and closely adjacent the imperforate end wall thereof; Jan indicating armature pivotally mounted within the casing in close proximityto said imperforate wall of the well, and thereby positioned closely adjacent thevmagnet for operation thereby; a Bourdon tube within said casing and surrounding said well; and a pressure indicating hand operable by said tube.-

2. A combined liquid level and pressure gauge comprising a casing having a base with a well 14o extending thereinto, and having a passageway from the well to the interior of said casing, a Bourdon tube partially encircling said well and communicating with said passageway, indicating means operable by said Bourdon tube, a floatoperated magnet projecting into said well and encircled by said Bourdon tube and an indicating armature within said casing and operable by said magnet. p

3.' A combined liquid level and pressure gauge 150 comprising a casing adapted to be secured to a tank, said casing having a well .open at one end and designed to communicate with the interior of the tank through said open end when the casing is fitted to the tank; a Bourdon tube in said casing, said tube and said well being concentrically disposed relative to each other with the upper edge of the tube substantially in the plane of the closed end of the well; a float-operated magnet projecting into said well; an indicating hand pivoted on and disposed closely adjacent the closed end of said well within the casing and operable-by said magnet; a pressure hand coni nected with the free end of said Bourdon tube;

and a common dial having a set of indicia for each hand.

4. A combined liquid level and pressure gauge comprising a one-piece body having an integral cup-shaped member forming a well for communicationfwith a source of uid pressure, one side of the walls of said cup-shaped member being thickened to form an integral supporting block laterally offset from the well; a Bourdon tube surrounding said cup-shaped memberbetween the planes of the open and closed endscf the latter and having one end anchored in said integral block; said block having a passageway formed entirely therein to establish direct communication between said well and said anchored end of the Bourdon tube; a rotatable magnet within said well, and means responsive to variations in liquid level for operating said magnet; an armature disposed adjacent the outside ofthe closed end of readings.

MAmMILIAN HEIN.

Aiso 

